Story Prompts: The First Line

December 22, 2012

This wasn’t where he wanted to be.

This wasn’t where who wanted to be? What is this place? And why didn’t he want to be there?

A first line story prompt can open up endless possibilities for a creative piece. From this example, you could identify a protagonist, or perhaps an antagonist, and begin to explore the major conflict.

Maybe a scientist who’s happy in his lab finds himself on a research vessel in the middle of the ocean being chased by pirates. Or a businessman who’s just been promoted to president of a major corporation suddenly remembers his childhood dream of being a race car driver. What if a teen’s parents make him wear a costume and go trick-or-treating with his younger brother?

When my husband and I renewed our interest in writing fiction, I remembered learning about first line story prompts. One evening, I suggested that we search the internet for a prompt and then each spend time writing a story. You can read my unpolished first draft of that story here.

Writing Challenge

It’s your turn! Search the internet for a first line story prompt that interests you. Then write a short story using the prompt as your first line. Don’t worry about editing right now. The purpose of this challenge is to brainstorm the major characters and conflict and to write a first draft. Once you’re finished, leave a comment on this post with the first line story prompt that you used. If you post it online, leave the link for it, too!